Starting device for motor-vehicle engines.



, y E. FILLETTAZ. vSTARTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE ENGINES.

' APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28.1914.

Pafente Apr. 11,1916.-

4 SHEETShSNEET l.

Ei fIIlm Swim/11% g@ flu.; d

l E. FILLTTAZ, STAR-TINGDEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE ENGINES.

L APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, 19H. 1,178,788.

071- QF@ EMM@ Pawn-ted Apr. 11, i916.

E. FILLETTAZ. STARTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICL E ENGINES.

APPLICATION FILED DEC. 28, I9!

Patented Apr. 1,1 1916 x 4 suegra-waagt a.

mi N. Wj. l W a E. FILLETTAZ.

STARTING DEVICE FOR MOTOR VEHICLE ENGINES. APPLlcA'nommso Dic. 28. 1914.

1,178,788. Patented Apr. l11, 1916.

Ilm"

UNITED STATES rATENT OFFIQEg'i-j i',V Enivronnrrntn'rraz, 'or NEUILLY-sun-sninn, FRANCE.

i i *.sirAnTING-Dnvrcnron Moron-vement: ynnc'invns-v -To all whomitmayoconcem; Be it' known a citizen ofthe Republic ofSw'itzerland, and resident of NeuillyfsurlSeine, France, (post-` ofce address@ Boulevard du Parc,) have invented a 'new anduseful- Starting Device for Motor-Vehicle Engines, which starting device isi-'fully set forth in the following specification.

. This., invention relates to startersl `for Y motor cars,l and it comprehends, brieiiy, the Vprovision offanimp'roved mechanism of the character specified,`which is so constructed as to enable the engine, orvmotor, to be started from he drivers seat by `the'mere manipulation of an operating handle.

An embodiment of the invention is illus trated in the accompanying drawing, Whereof:- p

,Figure 1 is a longitudinal sectional view, with parts in elevation, showing the relativel arrangement yofv the engine and vstarting shafts, and the .operating parts associated with the latter. Fig.r 2 is a vieivsimilar in the main to Fig. 1,'b t showingthe'starting shaft and yassociated 'parts in a different position. Figs.` 3 andr 4;; are"rspectively, a part-sectional front elevation, and a horizontal, longitudinal section, the ylatter, on

of the device forl actuating the starting shaft. Fig. 5 is a 'view somewhat but showing a further modification ing, indicates the driving or engine shaft, and 1 astarting shaft which is arranged in front of, and directlyfin line with the engine shaft, the starting shaft directly and 'positively rotate the engine shaftfso as to start the engine,` and- `.being itself positivelyoperatedby the driver from his 'seat througlithe intermediary of suitable meansor mechanism, [all as hereinafter described. The aforesaidstarting shaft is portion of the hassi's," andlis provided at its regar end ivitha 'sliding'clutch member 16, co-act with 'a clutchl member `17 fixed Ato the front end of the' engine shaft.v The starting shaftfis normally zheld in ineffective,

ward position,

clutchmembers, and is'provided adj acent its front end VWith va polygonal enlargement or .'Specicatj'on of Letters Patent.

that I, :Ennonn Finnn'r'rna line A-A, F ig. 3, Vshowing a Vmodification s similar to Fig. 1,

Referring more particularly to said draw-` being utilized to 4mountedrfor both rotary and' longitudinal movement in a bearing vsleeve or 'Y socket "l,A secured in` any .desired-.manner to the lfront controlled-by a spring 371`and Aadapted to for so: as to 1 separate the two` portion 'ein-g This Pulley' when so rotated, to transmit its motion to sleeve 36 throughthe agency of a ball-clutch, the balls 38 `of notches formed in the inner peripheral surface of the pulley hub 4:9; The rotation'of saidhub serves, in turn, to rotate .thestarting shaft, as will beapparent` When the pull upon'said cable is released, the pulley f is automaticallyv returned to initial position by the unwinding of an interna-l spring'li, which is coiled in the space for chamber provided between the pulley hub and a stationary sleeve 33 threaded upon the frontV end of the sleeve 31,A said spring 'having previously bee-nfwound up during the rotation of the pulley incidental to the actuation of the cable. The pulley i closed in a casing 50, to which vis detachably secured a cap 5 1 thatA itsoverthe frontend ofthe starting shaft and may be removed 1in order to permit said shaft to be manually cranked if the occasion therefor arises. `l In place, o the cable and pulley` device just describe there may be employed, Vif jpreferred, thevmodiied arrangement illus-` trated in Figs. 3 and 4, wherein the polygonal "portion of the starting shaftis fitted in.' a sleeve 4, which is formed with a circumferential gear ring 5.v Said ringv 5 meshes with a bevel gear 4 end of a counter-shaft 7, that is disposed `iat 'right-angles to front of the chassis, and carries at its outer end Aa drum 8, the latter being connected; by a ball-clutch, (not shown), with said shaft 7, in the same Wayfthat the pulleyf is con- -nected with the startingshaft, and likewise containing an\ internalY coiled returning spring 10. ..Also, cable 9 which leads to the drivers seat, and' is inclosed in a casing 11 attached rlft'oflfa being normally Wound up on' .said druni the action' of the `aforesaid returning spring'- 10. It will, therefore, be understood itliat 35a, or uponthe cable 35, or drum 8, v vill be rotated and, through the medium of .its .ball-clutcm will, "in turn,

sliding at infine' c tion 'shoivnfin the clutch v(3o-acting with is `preferably infv bracket or lug12 on the chassis, s 'aidcable--Y Patented Apr.iil,1f9ie.` appl'ieauon'aied December 28,1914. semina879,368.,` j

in one direction,

6, ,fastonthe inner ioo said drum is; rotated byia the starting shaft, at the 50 shaft-and, through the spring 37 forces the vstarting shaftv the groove rotate the starting shaft. The latter, howthe exact reverse of that which takes place ever, is normally held at the limit of its forunder normal conditions. Ward movement, as previously stated, so The modified construction represented Jin that it becomes necessary, if this movement Figs. el and 5 is designed for the purpose 5 of the starting shaft is to be utilized to of effecting a quicker and more positive disrotate the engine shaft, to provide some engagementoi' the clutch members, in case ofv means or mechanism whereby said starting bacioni-ing. According to this construction, shaft, during its rotation, is forced rearthe boss wherein are formed the grooves 40 I Wardly, t0 engage the clutch men'ibers 16 and 42, which correspond, respectively, to and 17., This action may be produced by the grooves 30 and'32 ol the arrangement 75 means of theshifting device illustrated in lirst described, is provided with helical Figs. l and 2, in place of which, however, blades il, which extend from grooves 42 to the modification represented in 4 and 5 'groove 40 and are prolonged beyond the latmay be employed, if desired. ter to the end of the boss. The rear por-' According to the first construction, there tions of these grooves co-act with balls 44, 8e is provided upon the starting shaft, directly seated in pockets in sleeve and controlled to the rear of the polygonal portion 37, a by springs 45, whiletheir forward or proboss or collar that is formed with a circumlonged portions are designed to co-act with ferential groove 30, which latter is intera second set of balls del, which are also 2Q sected by the forward ends of two riglitseated in pockets in said sleeve and are 85 handed helical ribs or blades 3l, whose rear similarly controlled by springs 45". The ends similarly intersect two short grooves first set ot' ballsis'limited in yits action to 32, disposed parallel with groove 30; and eli'ecting they connection oi the starting shaft between these grooves 30 and 32 are arto the engineshait; and the second set is ranged conical or inclined portions 46 that limited to effecting the disconnection of said 90 slope toward groove 30. The above-men starting'shaft from said engine shaft when tioned sleeve 33 is formed with a pair of back-firing occurs. In addition to the pockets for the reception ot' balls 34, which blades 4l, auxiliary helical blades 41 may e are pressed outwardly of said pockets'tobe provided, these auxiliary blades being lo Ward the grooved boss by springs 45. lVhen cated between the blades 451 and extending 95 the various parts are in normal position, as 1 from the front end ot' the boss to the cirdepicted i'n Fig. l, the balls project into the cumferential groove 40. rlhere may be two short groove 32, adjacent to the points or more'balls in each set. Y where the helical blades 31 meet the same, In the position which the parts assume 35 so that as soon as' the rotation of the start- `when the two shafts are coupled together, 100 in-g shaft commences, said balls will be .whiehis that represented in Fig. 5, the balls guided along said bladesinto the circiirnN 14 are disposedyii the glOOVC 40, While the ferential groove 30. `This is'due tothe fact, balls t? are engaged with the blades 4l or that the balls are' held'against lateral moves', 1415; whereas,- `4when the shafts are discon- 40 ment by the Wallslof their ockets,'the result l nectedg-the balls 4dlie in the grooves 42, and 105 'being that the startings aft'isrcaiise'lts the y,halls illmlie in the groove 40. The move. rearward; While" beingv rotated, so that cviiangelfifomConnected to dise l Y v onnected'posrf thefclutch members 16 andv 17' are engagedV tio uring-"baekfiring, is produced bythe and the engine-shaft, in consequence, ro a o the balls 44a on the blades 41 or 45 tated, the rotation of the latter shaft. start-` f l2/'t e number ol' the blades and the balls 110 ing the engine, as will be understood. insuring'theiininediate disconnection of the As soon as the engine commences to run,- starting shaft vwhen the engine commences the sliding clutch member 16 is pushed for to reverse. l Since the balls 44 do not come Ward by the clutch member 17 on the engine into` play during this disconnection of the 40 is provided at 115 starting shaft ySlightly in the same direction; 40 witha conical or inclined shoulder which This movementv of the starting shaft causes is designed to facilitate the sliding move'- the balls 3-,to ,be Vforced outward of the ment ofthe shaft benetth said balls. When groove 30, bythe edge of the latter, the said the starting sha-ft makes its return move- 55, balls then r `iesting.-upon the conical portions ment from disconnected to connected posi# 46, the inclination of which is sullicient for tion, 'wlhiclris effected merely by rotatingv the lateral thrust exerted upon said portions said shaft in normal direction, the balls 44, bythe balls 'to bring the shaft completely `are ycaused to operate, and coact with the back to its normal position. 0n the other blades 41 to produce the necessary rearward 5 hand, shoul'd'tlieengine start to back-lire, movement :of the shaft. During the time 125 the separation ofthe clutch'membcrs Iis ren- *thatsaid shaft is inconnected position, and dered impossible, V- bhgtthe- `backward rotai is rotating, the balls 44 ride idly over the tion imparted to the starting shaft enables blai'les, owing to their yielding mounting in the balls to' engage the helical blades 3l and theirpocli'ets.

u force said shaft' forward, the action being V'lhefree end of the operating cable ein- 13 i 0 first pull ploycd may have connected' to it a suitable handle or like device, (not shown), which may be mounted on either the dash-board or the Hoor of the car,rso as to be Within easy 5 reach of the driver. In the former instance,

the cable end is pulledstraight back, horizontally;v and iny the second instance, it is pulled upwardly.4 In either case, twopulls 'should he sutficent'tostart the engine, the effecting the connection of the starting shaft to the engine shaft, while the second piill causes the ren:,fine-shaft to oper- I claim as my'inventilonzl. Ar starter y for explosive engines, consisting of a starting-shaft arranged in line with theengine shaft, said shafts being provided with co-acting temporarily cou'plingtheni together; means 2b for shifting saidgstarting shaft endwise toward said engine shat't', to v engage said clutch members, said shifting means coinprising-a'body on said starting shaft formed with a circumferential groove, va plurality of 25 grooves of lii'nited'length disposed parallel with the firstanaiiiedgroove,helical blades connecting said first-,named groove with the second-named grooves, and arranged between saidfirstand secondfoname'd grooves and sloping toward the latter; a set of relativelystationary balls lo# cated in juxtaposition to said body and yieldingly pressed toward the saine for coystarting 'shaft endwise conical portions action -withsaid rst.- and second-named grooves, said blades and said conical por@ tions and means for rotating said starting shaft about its longitudinal axis from-a dis. tance. l

A starter for explosive engines, consist: ing of a starting'shat't arrangedin line with 4 '0 the engine shaft, said shafts beingproviided 4with (3o-acting' clutch nieinhers,4 one of which f mounted, for teii'iporai'ily 'c ou-` means for shifting sa id toward said engine shaft, to engage said clutch ineinhers,'said shifting means.comprising' a rbod-y formed `witha- (fii'cuinferent'al groove'. helical blades disposed at opposite sides of said groove, and a plurality ot roovesdisposed at one` is yieldingly pling thein togetlier; k45

clutch members 't'or fside only of the hrst-nanied groo'v'eg-atvvogjsets 'of relatirely-stationaryfballsjlocated in juxtaposition to' said bodyand yieldingly` Y pressed toward the saine force-action witlr l said lii'stand second-trained grooves and Vwith saidl blades; andaneans for rotating`v saidistarting shaft about its longitudinal axis from a distance.y ln testimony whereot I liavesigned" this ing witnesses.

E DM( )N l) vFlLLlIVIAZ.:

lVitnesses: v lliiinn Licniiii'r,

sl-iecitication iii the presence of two lsubscrilo- 6,0 

